Families headed to Centennial Family Aquatic Center or Wilmette's lakefront beaches on Thursday, July 16 found locked gates and empty lifeguard chairs instead. Canadian wildfire smoke pushed air quality into the "Very Unhealthy" purple category across Cook County, forcing the Wilmette Park District to close its pool at 12:45 p.m., close its swimming and sailing beaches, and cancel the opening night of Footloose The Musical at the Wallace Bowl in Gillson Park.
The free outdoor production, performed by high schoolers and rising eighth graders through the Wilmette Center for the Arts, will make up Thursday's cancelled show on Sunday, July 19 at 6:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday performances remain scheduled for 7:30 p.m., air quality permitting.
Kenilworth Beach went unstaffed starting at 10 a.m., with the Village of Kenilworth warning residents that swimming was at their own risk. Winnetka closed its beaches to swimming as well, according to the Chicago Tribune.
How bad is the air?
Particulate matter readings in the Chicago area reached an Air Quality Index between 248 and 355 on Thursday morning, according to the Tribune. Chicago ranked as the fourth most-polluted major city in the world as of 9 a.m. Thursday, according to the Tribune citing Swiss air quality monitoring firm IQAir, behind Detroit, Toronto, and Minneapolis. The smoke originated from more than 140 wildfires burning in Ontario and northern Minnesota, arriving overnight Wednesday, July 15 into Thursday.
The Illinois EPA issued a Red Forecast Air Pollution Action Day for all six Chicago-area forecast zones, and Cook County's alert extends through Saturday, July 18.
Who is most at risk
Cook County health officials identified children, adults 65 and older, pregnant people, and anyone with asthma, COPD, or heart and lung conditions as sensitive groups. Symptoms to watch for include wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath.
Health guidance from Cook County: stay indoors with windows closed, set air conditioning to recirculate, use high-efficiency filters, and avoid burning candles or smoking indoors. If you must go outside, wear an N95 mask. Monitor real-time conditions at AirNow.gov.
Illinois EPA Director James M. Jennings said on Wednesday, July 15: "We recommend residents get into the habit of checking the daily Air Quality Index at the same time you check the weather each morning, especially if you are part of a sensitive group such as having asthma or another lung disease."
What else was cancelled Thursday
Beyond the pool and beaches, the Wilmette Park District cancelled Beach Volleyball Camp, all beach trips, all camp pool visits and swim lessons, Sports Camp's field trip to Rainbow Falls, Wiggleworms' field trip to Action Territory, and the Go Green Wilmette workday at Mallinckrodt Park. Camps remained open but kept children indoors, limiting any outdoor time to no more than 30 minutes with frequent hydration breaks.
Looking ahead: uncertainty through the weekend
The National Weather Service said the smoke could meander in and out of northern Illinois through Friday. Thunderstorms expected Friday may help clear conditions, with a cold front forecast to bring cleaner air by Sunday.
The Glencoe Festival of Art opens Saturday, July 18 in downtown Glencoe with 125 curated artists, a Kids Art Zone, live music, and free admission. Because Cook County's air quality alert runs through Saturday, festival-goers should check conditions before heading out. No contingency statement from producer Amdur Productions was available as of Thursday afternoon.
The Wilmette Park District said it will post updates at wilmettepark.org. Residents can also subscribe to Cook County's AlertCook system by texting "alertcook" to 888-777.
